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LifeRide 7 – Riding for a Cure

While many of you know me as my by night persona, a snarky twenty-something who blogs ad-nauseum about Disney, you may be surprised to learn that I work for a skin care company called Kiehl’s. Kiehl’s is the oldest skin care company in America and is known for their dedication to excellence and products which are great for even the most sensitive skin. Yet, this is not what initially drew me to the company. I was lured in by the many philanthropic efforts of Kiehl’s. Next week, our biggest charitable event of the year is happening and I would like to both cordially invite all of you, if you happen to be in the New York area, and also tell you why it is such an important cause.

What is LifeRide?

LifeRide is actually an annual motorcycle ride which follows a different route every year. President of Kiehl’s, Chris Salgardo, joined by several celebrity riders, rides to and from several Kiehl’s stores, all the while raising awareness of HIV research, testing and finding a cure. Kiehl’s itself takes 15% off all merchandise for customers and then turns around and donates that to amfAR, the leading organization in HIV research. To date, Kiehl’s has raised $1.2 Million for the cause. This year, the ride will span the East coast, starting in New York City, heading up to Boston and Provincetown, and then finally ending in Philadelphia.

Who is amfAR?

The American Foundation for AIDS research is an organization dedicated to creating a cure for the HIV epidemic. Since 1985, amfAR has invested $450 million into its programs and into grants to help research a cure for HIV. Their goal is to be unnecessary by the year 2020. That means finding a cure.

Why Should You Care?

It’s true. HIV is not the hot button issue that it once was, but consider the following:

More than 1.2 Million People in the U.S. is Living with HIV and 1 in 8 of them don’t even know it.

Every day, about 5,753 people wordlwide contract HIV. To put that into perspective, that’s 240 per hour.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, 78 Million People have contracted HIV and 35 Million have died from AIDS-related causes.

1 in 4 People Living with HIV are Women.

1 in 3 black gay men in Major Cities are infected.

HIV is something that affects all of us. I know for a fact that I don’t want my kids to grow up in a world where this is a problem anymore. And while strides have been made and the infection rate has gone down, we still have a lot of work to do.

Back in 2012, a friend of mine, Michael Pozazzo, was infected with HIV. His family scorned him and did not support or assist him. Unfortunately, he passed away a mere six months later. Michael contracted the disease during his first EVER sexual encounter. We all know someone or know of someone who has been affected by this disease. On this blog, I often speak of leading with love. Making every decision to better someone’s life. This event represents a huge group of people doing just that. I know it sounds cliche, but truly, we can stop this thing if we work together. I hope to see as many of you as possible at the event. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions about how to get involved either in NYC or in your local area!